


everywhere, everywhere

by spideywhiteys



Series: 365 Days of Naruto AUs [66]
Category: Naruto
Genre: A few other characters mentioned, Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Dystopian Vibes, Government Official Itachi, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Resistance Leader Naruto, Separation of Classes, Tyrannical Government, double agent itachi, government rebellion, or rather a relationship they've acknowledged through promises, rebellion in the works, rich aristocrat itachi, steampunk mechanic naruto, unspoken feelings, wow what a shocker lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-14 06:39:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29912916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spideywhiteys/pseuds/spideywhiteys
Summary: Uchiha Itachi, an Aristocrat from a powerful family with an equally powerful position in the Government. Uzumaki Naruto, the man he slips information to in the hopes of a full scale rebellion - the man he makes promises for, and dreams of them coming true.
Relationships: Uchiha Itachi/Uzumaki Naruto
Series: 365 Days of Naruto AUs [66]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2086938
Kudos: 21





	everywhere, everywhere

**Author's Note:**

> Day 66: Steampunk AU ft. "wanting to escape" / Itachi + Naruto
> 
> it's.... technically set in a steampunk au even tho it took on a political overthrow theme haha....

The city is a gilded birdcage, a prison of its citizens' own making. The rich are content here, tucked away in high, sparkling towers made of gold and steel. The less fortunate are left to scutter in the dirt like rodents, scrounging for crumbs. They can’t even push out, far beyond the walls, in search of better jobs and living conditions. Not legally, anyway. Only the rich can leave, driving freely in their vintage, intricate cars or traveling via steam train. Passports, ID’s, money — the city has effectively created a pitfall for the destitute. 

Naruto is twenty and rather good with his hands. Whether he uses them as weapons or to fine tune machinery, it all works the same for him. No one expects a knucklehead like him to be any good at making the whimsical machines that populate the shop. But he learned the best from his parents, before they were taken by the government on suspicion of attempted incitation of rebellion.

They’re still out there, probably — he hopes. For now he has to keep his head low. Let Shikamaru do the thinking, let him and Sakura be the brains of the operation while Naruto is the figurehead, the one to lead them to the world outside the walls. If his parents are alive, they’ll be imprisoned in The Vault, a tall, grayscale building in the right wing of the city. It’s shaped like a particularly ugly vase, all curves and beams of blackened wood, silver steel reaching high into the heavens. 

According to everyone and every piece of information the Resistance has acquired about the place, it’s impenetrable. Well, it’s never been invaded by Uzumaki Naruto, so he’s not letting that kind of talk hang over his head. He will succeed in rescuing his parents no matter what. There’s no other outcome for him, not one that matters.

Naruto tinkers away in the back room of his parent’s shop and  _ believes. _

* * *

Uchiha Itachi comes like clockwork. Dressed in a fine black tailcoat, his white shirt without a single crease and his gray vest decorated with the finest embroidery to come from the rich end of tailor shops. He looks disarmingly out of place as usual, the scent of money practically rolling off of him. Not a single strand of glossy, midnight hair out of place. His obsidian eyes are lined with long, pretty lashes and carefully hidden exhaustion. His skin is clear aside from the stress marks; he sparkles like a polished gem among the dirt.

Every bit of him speaks of a regality that no one on this side of town possesses. And the big, shiny badge that declares him a government agent hangs from his vest pocket. He is not welcome among the poor, but never seems to mind the looks of suspicion and hatred he’s always met with.

Every month, on the second Tuesday, Itachi walks into  _ Uzumaki’s _ and greets Naruto with no animosity. There would be more suspicion placed on both of them if Itachi didn’t casually speak of Naruto’s work in public circles, claiming he’d become fond of the skill and design — and the rich aristocrats tittered and shrugged because everyone had their quirks, ooh’ed and ahh’ed because the little designs, clocks, machines and works of art Naruto crafted really  _ were _ amazing. 

The rich didn’t suspect the whims of an aristocrat — especially not when that aristocrat was an Uchiha, and a government agent at that. And Itachi was  _ high up, _ in the kind of position that carried more power than Naruto would know what to do with.

The poor didn’t suspect Naruto because he was  _ Naruto, _ and his hatred of the government was apparent. It was also a universal fact that going against them publicly meant jail or worse. It was the general assumption that Naruto had to work under the whims of the Uchiha, unable to deny the man. 

The Resistance knew better.

Uchiha Itachi was their  _ in. _ Their man on the inside, providing information and plans and schematics. As far as they knew, the only Uchiha members on their side were Itachi, Sasuke and Shisui. Those three interacted regularly with the spy network.

Naruto can feel it in his bones.

This gilded cage is coming down.

“Your work last month was exceptional.” Itachi murmurs, keeping up pretenses despite there being no one else in the shop.

Naruto clicks his tongue, smile pressed to his teeth. He rubs a bashful hand over his nose, no doubt leaving a streak of oil on his tanned flesh. He feels at ease with the other man in a way that would be impossible with any other Official, familiar with those kind eyes and resonating with those ideals. Anyone willing to tear down the government with him is a friend in Naruto’s book.

“Thanks. Your orders are getting more ridiculous as time goes on, though.” He finds himself laughing, wandering behind the old oak counter, the surface burdened with too many pieces of machinery, tools and a mix of cloth. Itachi’s order this time is a circular globe intended to be hung from somewhere, shapes of felines protruding from the surface. There’s a clock in the center of the wire and metal, ticking steadily away. It’s a work of art, certainly — but perhaps the oddest request for a timepiece he’s ever received. 

Itachi smiles that soft, private smile of his. “Monthly orders are quite taxing on my imagination.” His fingers grasp at the product when Naruto hands it over, marveling at its...uniqueness. “As usual, you turn the barest idea into a wonder.”

Naruto clears his throat, ears red. “It’s nothin’ much.”

“Don’t sell yourself short.” Itachi comments, handing Naruto a few slips of paper. Money, and a detailed schematic of hot air balloons he’d  _ requisitioned _ from the government’s store of publicly forbidden blueprints. Their fingers linger together.

Naruto feels his smile wobble. He’s covered in grease and sweat, dressed in a ratty orange button-up and slacks with too many patches at the knees held up by suspenders that have seen better days. The new clasps don’t even match the original design. He has a rat’s nest for hair and no personal pocket watch or any other odd accessory that’s popular among the masses. He always feels underdressed next to Itachi, not that it really bothers him.

It just presses at the front of his mind when Itachi looks at him like  _ this. _ Like Naruto is worth a million pounds of gold. It makes something squirm awkwardly in his chest. It makes him feel things he really shouldn’t while they’re in the middle of scheming against the government and there’s no guarantee for a happy outcome. His parents and friends come first. Feelings like this need to be locked away, for later. Much later.

Itachi watches him with a quiet, content expression, drinking in Naruto and everything that he is, mess and all. His fingers are pale and white against the dark tan of Naruto’s scarred hands.

“One day,” Itachi promises, and his words are too heavy to be anything but that, “I won’t need this excuse to see you, and I will whisk you far, far away.”

Naruto laughs. Maybe disbelieving, maybe hopeful. “Yeah? Where to?”

“Wherever you want. I’ll take you anywhere.”

Heart in his throat, Naruto can only smile like the sun peeking from the clouds after a storm, hoping it conveys whatever he can’t speak, “Everywhere, then. Take me everywhere.”

“Everywhere.” Itachi lets his hand drop, empty, leaving Naruto’s fingers tingling. “ _ Everywhere. _ ”

Naruto watches him leave, and Itachi doesn’t turn back once, that careful mask already back in place. He wonders what’s happening between them, and if maybe both of them are afraid to put it into words because of their positions. Naruto loves wholly and entirely, but he’s never going to put his feelings above the lives of his family. His friends. This city and its people. He can be content to never explore whatever he and Itachi are reaching for if it means they succeed in their goal. 

But he still dreams of fulfilled promises and maybe’s.


End file.
